Treasure Planet: Irrevocable
by NeverLookBackSamurai
Summary: There are things one can do in life that others will never forget. Whether they be for the better, or for worse, that is for you to decide. This she told him. This he will never forget. JimxOC JimOC
1. Exhilaration

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Treasure Planet or any material related to Walt Disney in any way or form.

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Eighteen-year-old Jim Hawkins swerved between cliff rocks as swiftly and smoothly as a bird in flight. Sailing along quietly on his solar surfer, rubber-soled boots molding perfectly to the board's surface, Jim looked as though he had been born flying. Angling the nose of the board up at a ninety degree angle, Jim shot up and over the tops of the cliffs on either side, flying far up into the sky. Ethereal-blue eyes shot a glance back down to the parched earth, and a smirk came over the brunette's face. Jim brought his heel down hard on a small metal button near the end of his board, causing his solar sail to fold in on itself and disappear rapidly into a narrow compartment in the underside of his board. The young brunette closed his eyes, sighing contentedly as he felt himself dropping into a massive free-fall. Crossing his arms, he allowed his senses to take control of his body; he heard the wind howling in his ears, causing the normally soft locks of his hair to turn into whips, catching in the maelstrom and lashing at his face. The scent of hot, baked dirt was all around him; the hot atmosphere cooling his face as he fell.

A rush of adrenaline shot through his system as Jim opened his eyes, his arms splayed out to help check his fall, before he pulled out of the dive just in time, his solar sail whipping out to power the board. Jim's sharp eyes caught sight of a new challenge: an operating cliff grinder that was carving mercilessly into the side of a formidable granite cliff. Jim accelerated, gaze locked onto his target like a sniper watching his victim through his crosshairs. The reckless youth came up to a gate protecting the construction compound against intruders. Jim crashed through the sign, oblivious to the splintering of wood with the word 'RESTRICTED' painted on it in bright, reflective paint, and ignoring the alarm that sounded as soon as he flew through it. Loving the maze of exhaust columns and other miscellaneous machines scattered about the place, Jim twisted and turned his lithe body around the obstacles, his solar surfer obliging to his every move.

As Jim neared his goal, a long list of warnings flashed in is head that told him he shouldn't be doing this. The brazen young man merely shrugged it off with a pivot of his heel and a smash on the solar sails' folding button.

"_Come on!!_" he cried, crouching low to his board. His eyes never left the opening between two blades. One had just passed, leaving a two-second gap in which to fly through. If Jim didn't make it through in those two seconds, he was as good as dead. A jolt shook his frame, one of fear and exhilaration as the nose of his board passed through the opening, a great rumbling of machinery passing over his head as the opening closed in on him…

"_Yeah!! Whoo-hooo!!_" Jim yelled, ecstatic, as he rose from his confrontation with death. The boy certainly had had many near-fatal experiences, but none so close as that, and it gave him a sense of satisfaction to know he could cut corners around injury or even death. Adrenaline coursed through his veins as the sail on his solar surfer shot out again, allowing the brunette to better catch the rays of harsh sunlight bearing down on the desert area.

Abruptly, Jim's sharp hearing caught the sound of something slicing neatly through the air behind him. Cursing under his breath, the young man immediately dropped through the air, halting his descent only a few feet from the compact, scorched earth below him.

"Hey, better get a move on, buddy!" Jim started, his eyes training on a fast-moving object about two yards above his solar sail. It was another solar surfer, he realized, and the person riding it appeared to be no older than Jim himself. They wore all khaki, colored like the desert floor for camouflage. The beige jacket they wore flapped in the wind, exposing a plain white shirt that clung to the person's form like plastic wrap. Slightly baggy sand-colored pants disappeared into earthen-brown boots with thick rubber soles. The person also wore jet-black half gloves which enclosed tanned hands spread out like wings on either side of the rider. The surfer's hair was covered by a dirty golden bandana, that Jim raised his eyes at, confused. Whoever they were, they looked back at Jim, showing a pair of black-tinted goggles, before skillfully dipping the nose of their board and flying level with Jim.

"Hey, Brownie!" they shouted, motioning to his hair, "I said, you'd better get a move on!" All too late, Jim realized what they meant, as he heard police sirens sounding not very far off behind him.

"Shit…" Jim turned to the rider, but found nothing but empty air. Looking up, he barely managed to catch a glimpse of a khaki-clad arm zip up and out of sight over a cliff. The sirens drew closer, too close for Jim's liking. He sighed, defeated, and rolled his eyes

"Oh, great…"

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**A/N:** First time writing in this category, so kindly leave constructive criticism.


	2. Lecture

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Treasure Planet or any material related to Walt Disney in any way or form.

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He'd been chewed out. Man, had he been chewed out. Jim's mother, Sarah Hawkins, had yelled at him in front of two robotic policemen as well as all of the Benbow Inn's patrons. Jim knew that she had had to have been pretty mad if she lost track of where she was to give him a loud, stern lecture. As guilty as he already felt, his mother just _had_ to make him feel worse by saying she didn't want to see him throw away his future.

To this argument, Jim made the feeble reply, "What future?" as he withdrew into the kitchen with a tub full of dirty plates.

Once within the relatively quiet sanctity of the kitchen, and ignoring the soft crackling of several fires beneath bubbling pots of stew, Jim set to work washing the multitude of dirty dishes in an enormous steel sink at one end of the kitchen. As he worked, the brunette's thoughts turned to the person he had met that morning. Well, more like they had run into him. The frown on his face deepened as he thought about them: the timbre of the voice had been one to match a girl who spoke in a low tone, so he assumed the surfer he'd met was a girl. He'd met only a few girls his age who liked to solar surf, but none of them had the skill the girl had possessed.

"_And none of them dress like a boy, that's for sure,_" he thought. The more Jim thought about her, the more he wanted to see her again. It would be fun to have someone to challenge, someone he could truly test his abilities against.

"Lai, what are you doing here? I told you you could start tomorrow." Curious, Jim paused in the middle of drying a dish, and tiptoed to the kitchen door, where there was a small circular glass window he could look out of. He wondered who his mother could be talking to.

"Mrs. Hawkins, I thank you greatly, However, I just happened to drop by, and I noticed you seemed to be rather short-handed tonight. So I decided to come in and help you." There, no less than ten feet away from where Jim stood behind the kitchen door, was a girl who looked similar to the solar surfer he'd seen earlier that day. The girl, Lai, as Jim recalled his mother calling her, was slightly shorter than he was, with shoulder-length dark brown, wavy hair that framed a pretty, oval face. Her eyes were light brown, and her lips a delicious lemonade-pink. She wore an unzipped black leather jacket, which contrasted nicely with the dove-white shirt she wore underneath. The girl's pants were slightly baggy, travel-worn jeans, and she wore the same style of half-gloves the person he'd met earlier had worn. A black, ribbon-like bandana was tied around Lai's forehead and through her hair, the tail ends trailing down the back of her head and ending at the nape of her neck. Jim watched as she shifted her footing, noting how even her boots were black. A simple black leather choker and obsidian-colored wristbands completed the interesting outfit. Jim saw his mother raise an inquisitive eyebrow, but sighed, smiling slightly, and pointed in Jim's direction. The brunette immediately dashed back to his post at the sink, and began to furiously scrub more dishes, pulling up the collar of his jacket as he did so.

"Well, well. The troublesome solar surfer." Jim jumped. He turned to face the girl Lai standing right beside him. He hadn't even heard the door open, and any possible footsteps he might have heard must have been lost over the rushing of the tap. Jim struggled to keep his hold on the dish in hands as a pair of light brown eyes looked over him amusedly.

"I think if you'd been a little faster, you might actually have made it, Brownie." Jim frowned at the nickname, immediately deciding he didn't like Lai. The girl merely smiled, before turning to an abandoned apron and rolling up her sleeves. Jim caught sight of a short, thin piece of what looked like metal tied to her belt as she removed her jacket to tie the apron on.

"_Not only does she insult people, she could be dangerous as well,_" he thought as he dried his hands on a towel. Humming to herself, Lai proceeded to pick up a knife and slice away swiftly at a purp she picked from a barrel in the corner. Jim thought he'd try to snatch the small piece of metal when she was preoccupied, so he walked seemingly casually past her, his hand dropping to his side as he came up to her left side.

"I wouldn't if I were you," Lai said. Jim froze, his fingers brushing the cool, black metal. Lai gently placed the knife and fruit on the cutting board in front of her. She wiped her hands on her apron, before tapping the cylindrical object at her waist.

"You don't want to know what it can do." She spoke in a hushed voice, as if confiding a great secret. But this only proved to intensify Jim's curiosity, to which Lai shook her head, returning her attention back to her work. The brunette exhaled noisily, blowing his bangs out of his eyes, before shoving his hands in his pockets and turning away, walking through the kitchen door and up to his room. Once there, Jim slammed the door, irritated, and flopped onto his bed, his water-chafed hands massaging his eyes. He sighed.

"_Great. If mom hired that girl, I'm going to be in for it…_"


	3. Confidence

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Treasure Planet or any material related to Walt Disney in any way or form.

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Jim sighed; he'd been doing that a lot in the past few hours. The brunette blew his hair out of his eyes as he flicked another pebble down the side of the roof of the Benbow Inn. Propped up against the chimney stack, and bracing himself against a few broken tiles, Jim listened to his mother and Dr. Doppler having an agonizing conversation below.

Glancing down through the skylight, Jim caught a glimpse of the girl his mother had hired. Lai was her name, and she proved within a span of two minutes that she would be annoying to Jim. At the moment, Lai was apparently oblivious to the two personages speaking behind her as she wiped tables and set the chairs on their wooden surfaces. Jim noticed Lai turn to face the skylight. Looking up, she held his gaze for a second, before turning her attention back to her work, shaking her head. The youth frowned as he noticed another long, cylindrical object fastened to her left side. Apparently, his mother and Dr. Doppler had yet to notice the girl in the room, but his attention was diverted as he heard the great rumbling of a falling space vehicle roaring overhead. Jim leaped up as he saw the pod, skidding down the roof to land harshly on the ground below. Without a second thought, the brunette ran off toward the fallen vehicle which had crash landed on a docking platform at the end of a long, dirt path leading away from the Benbow Inn. Jim slammed his fist against the hot metal door, yelling through the blinding smoke.

"Hey, mister! Mister you're okay in there, right?!"

Lai softly swept into the dining room from the kitchen, carrying an empty plastic tub balanced on her hip. Glancing briefly and uninterestedly at her kind employer speaking with a wealthy-looking patron, Lai proceeded to divest the tables of their dirty loads. The girl's feet made no noise as she lightly stepped across the wooden floorboards, despite the fact that she was wearing heavy solar-surfing boots.

"So, Sarah, who is that girl you hired over there? She seems to be quite content working here…" Lai made no motion to suggest she had heard the comment from Dr. Doppler, who was a well-known and greatly respected creature of a race of people who resembled dogs in appearance, but mainly humans in speech.

"Oh, her name is Laixyn. But she said she wanted to be called Lai," Sarah said, somewhat grateful for the turn of conversation. The poor woman had been dwelling on her son's doings for too long, and she was becoming all too exasperated with his recklessness.

"Laixyn… Now why does that name sound familiar?" Dr. Doppler tilted his head to the side, a floppy ear quirked slightly. The said young woman turned at the sound of her name, even though she had heard every word they had said from across the room.

"Yes, sir?" she asked, politely bowing to the esteemed personage. Dr. Doppler eyed her outfit just as Sarah had done, surprised to see someone who looked as though they were a troublemaker, but whose personality was just the opposite.

"Miss, Laixyn-"

"Lai, if you please, sir."

"Miss Lai, my name is Dr. Doppler, a noted astrophysicist. Is it possible that I have met you before? Or perhaps one of your parents? I seem to recall seeing you somewhere before; your facial features suggest as such."

"I'm sorry, sir. I'm afraid you must be mistaken. I have no parents whatsoever," Lai swept a few crumbs off the table Sarah sat at into the tub as she spoke. "They died when I was five." Dr. Doppler seemed taken aback by the manner in which she spoke; the girl had spoken plainly, as though she was merely commenting on the weather.

"Although," Lai began again, balancing a half-filled tub on her right hip, "It is possible, sir, that you have seen my advertisement in the local papers. Mrs. Hawkins has been so kind as to take me in if I work for her." The young woman smiled gently at the care-worn woman sitting beside her, who returned the smile with motherly affection.

"And I thank you for coming so soon, Lai," she said, burying her face in her hands.

"Ah. It _is_ possible I might have seen that," Dr. Doppler said, hitching up his books in his arms. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I had best be going. I would rather not intrude upon your peace now that your customers have departed." Sarah rose swiftly, grasping the doctor's free hand in her own and giving it a grateful squeeze.

"Thanks for listening, Delbert," she sighed, sitting back down exhaustedly. "It helps." Lai decided to stand back and let the two friends speak privately. She went back into the kitchen, depositing the tub of dishes next to the sink she had found Sarah's son at earlier. The young woman looked out the window, which was being assaulted by fat drops of rain. Lai immediately felt a deep sense of tranquility, and a small twinge of pain rose in her stomach at the calm. She did not have the luxury of being truly safe very often, and every opportunity that presented itself was gladly taken. Abruptly, earthen eyes trained on an enormous hulking figure limping through the dim light outside the entrance of the Benbow Inn. Snatching her jacket and gloves from where they lay discarded on a table, Lai swiftly walked to the kitchen door, following the shroud with her eyes. She saw the door fly open in front of a very startled Dr. Doppler, revealing a soaking Jim and a turtle-like creature that Lai assumed had been the colossus she had seen from the window.

"James Pleiades Hawkins!" Lai immediately went to Sarah's aid, who looked as though she were about to faint.

"Mom, he's hurt. Bad." Sarah took Lai's offered hand as the girl gently set her back down in her chair. Jim glanced at Lai, who ignored him and knelt beside the turtle-like creature, frowning at his condition. He rasped and motioned to Jim for the chest he had been carrying, before typing in a combination, opening the box to reveal a small, spherical wrapped bundle.

"He'll be comin' soon. Can't let him find this," the creature said. Jim leaned forward, speaking rapidly.

"Who's coming-"

"The cyborg," the creature hissed, grabbing Jim roughly by his collar. "Beware, the cyborg." Lai's frown deepened as the creature fell back, and she immediately knew his time had come. She heard Sarah's gasp behind her at the same time she heard a space cruiser powering down outside the inn. Both Jim and Lai leapt up, each positioning themselves at either end of the changeable curtain in the window. Jim twisted a winch ever so slightly, allowing a sliver of night to be seen. Lai's hand gripped the cylindrical object at her waist, body tensed as she recognized the familiar sense of malevolence and bloodlust in the air. Jim seemed to notice it too.

"Quick, we gotta go," he said, running swiftly away from the window and grabbing his mother before dragging her up the stairs. Lai didn't stop to watch Dr. Doppler hesitantly touch the doorknob, before she began shoving things in the door's way. After a ball of electricity burned through the door frame, missing the doctor by inches, Lai grabbed him roughly by the wrist and dragged him up the stairs.

"Sir, I suggest you run," she said, hand at her waist, eyes locked on the furniture blocking the door.

"No! Lai!" Lai started at the sound of Sarah's anguished voice, a plea for her to escape lingering in the woman's voice. Cursing, Lai left the scene, following the doctor down the hallway until they met an open window. Dr. Doppler immediately shouted to a creature tied to his vehicle, before taking Sarah's hand in his own and speaking to her swiftly. Jim and Lai exchanged glances as they saw the shadows of what looked like pirates ravage the room downstairs. One shadow pointed upstairs, and Jim's heart skipped a beat. Without a second thought, both teens shoved the two adults out the window, following them with enough momentum to pitch themselves out the window. Dr. Doppler, Sarah, and Jim landed harshly on the cushioned seat of the carriage, each concerned with their own wellbeing. Lai landed on her feet beside the carriage next to Sarah, and Jim caught a flash of what looked like dark metal shining in the pale, rain-streaked moonlight at Lai's waist. Her hand rested firmly on the object

"Dr. Doppler, go! I'll distract them!" she yelled, not facing them. Jim noticed something had changed about her; the fun-loving demeanor was gone, to be replaced by a dark, serious, wary one. Sarah leaned out of the carriage and grasped a handful of jacket-leather.

"Lai, you have to come with us. I'm begging you." Lai didn't look back, but assented, stepping up swiftly onto the carriage step as it began to move in flight. She watched as Sarah's gaze turned to her establishment, now burning and shrinking into the distance as Dr. Doppler drove further away. Lai's hand fell from her waist, to rest on Sarah's shoulder. Jim looked on the scene with irritation, and at the same time, felt an inexplicable gratefulness to the girl who had been willing to forfeit her life for theirs.

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**A/N:** Reviews are nice, and make me want to keep writing the story. Please review, even if it's criticism.


	4. Gratitude and Secrets

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Treasure Planet or any material related to Walt Disney in any way or form.

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Lai stood outside the main entrance of Dr. Doppler's mansion, her gaze directed down at her feet. The doctor had gingerly led a near-fainting Sarah inside, hopefully to give her comfort and to assure her she would be cared for until the Benbow Inn could be rebuilt. Intense anger and self-loathing bubbled in the pit of Lai's stomach; she hated to feel useless. But that was just what she felt like as she remembered standing by Sarah's side as she watched the woman's establishment burn.

In the very short time Lai had known her, the young woman had grown an inexplicable attachment to her benefactress; she felt it was her obligation to help the woman and protect her and her family. She didn't know why she felt the way she did, and that amused Lai immensely.

A crunch in the gravel surrounding the house brought Lai's attention to her left, around the side of the mansion. Quick wits and years of training brought the woman's hand to grasp the dark cylindrical object at her side, her feet spread apart in a ready stance. Her ears opening to the sound of light, composed breathing, Lai relaxed slightly. As Jim rounded the corner, Lai was already back to playing sentinel in front of the door, her eyes closed to amplify her other senses. The young man frowned at the girl's strange behavior, remembering her intense, soldier-like attitude back at the inn. Jim inched closer, hands in his pockets, eyes scanning her face for any indication of that cold, determined demeanor he swore he did not trust.

"Are you trying to bore a hole in my forehead, Jim?" The boy jumped at the sudden remark, his face mere inches from hers. Intense, light brown eyes met unsullied, icy blue in a staring contest. For the first time ever, Lai began to feel herself drowning in an abyss; she had never seen someone with such a beautiful hue in their eyes. She thought the soft blue of the boy's eyes were an even more stunning shade than that of the Etherium itself. Jim noticed the girl's gaze soften, and she began to revert back to the personality she had had when he first met her.

"I suggest you back away before I'm forced to smack you, Brownie," Lai said smiling, leaning away from the brunette. Jim raised an eyebrow at her playful tone; he had never heard her say something in such a manner, and she didn't seem to want to annoy him. He decided to make an attempt at conversation with her.

"Lai… What you did for us… For my mom… Well-"

"I don't need a thank you, Jim," the girl said, looking at him, a soft expression on her face. "Your mother is a very strong woman, but she needs you to be strong, too, and support her." Lai shifted so she faced away from the boy, her dark locks hiding her face.

"I merely did what I had to," she whispered. This statement rekindled Jim's curiosity.

"By the way… What happened back there?" he asked. "One minute, you're joking and trying to push my buttons, the next, you're-"

"I said I merely did what I had to." The sternness in Lai's voice made Jim drop the subject immediately. But his azure gaze lingered on the two cylindrical objects at the girl's waist. Lai followed his eyes, and sighed, slipping the shorter of the two from a loop of what looked like cord around her waist.

"If you're so curious, I dare you to draw that," Lai whispered. Jim frowned, his eyes trained on her face. Lai's gaze was directed at the short, smooth object in his hand, and the emotion she wore was… was it anticipation?

"No need to dare," Jim said, smirking, his fingers grasping both ends of the cylinder. The object wriggled in his grasp, and Jim nearly dropped it. Suddenly, Jim saw a flash of metal as the object flew apart, one half becoming a sheath, the other a short dagger without a hilt. Jim stared openmouthed; the sword was… floating. Suddenly, the blade flashed brightly, and Jim yelled.

"What the-? Ah-ow…" Jim looked at his hand; his palm had been slashed so cleanly that only a single drop of blood beaded on the surface of his skin.

"Pyre, I thought I told you not to scare him," Lai said darkly, lifting her palm to rest under the blade. Jim stared at the girl as though she had grown five heads.

"… Did you just… _talk_ to it?" The girl looked at him.

"Yes, I just did." She smiled a sardonic smile. "I forgot to tell you what these are. Well, if you must know, Jim, I'm a Lifeblader." Jim's eyes grew even wider than dinner plates at this statement.

"You… You're a …. What?" Lai rolled her eyes, and the small dagger in her hand stood straight up, sharp end pointing straight down at her palm. It seemed to be quivering, as though emanating a hostile force that caused the hairs on the back of Jim's neck to stand up.

"Pyre, _behave_." The blade did as instructed, and fell to lie still in the girl's palm. Lai withdrew a roll of gauze and helped Jim with his wound. She noted how his fingers were callused, probably from the hours of working with his solar surfer. The girl's eyes fell on the cut, and Jim grew worried when she frowned at it. She looked up at him.

"You won't need stitches, if that's what you're worried about," she said, wiping her blade off on a cloth she produced from her jacket pocket. Jim watched with wary eyes as the girl slid the silver metal back into its sheath.

"_Jim! Lai! Where are you?_" Lai turned her head to the front door as it opened, revealing the looming shadow of Dr. Doppler. The two teens held up their hands against the sudden light, and the doctor adjusted his glasses as he gazed down at the pair.

"You can come in now. Sarah's not in shock anymore. Just be quiet when you go into the library, all right?" Jim immediately leapt up and ran inside, his boots thundering in the grand entrance hall. Lai walked in swiftly after him, watching as a look of pure desperation flashed across the brunette's face as he twisted and turned his body, looking at the numerous doors around the hall. He turned to his companions, an animalistic fear in his eyes.

"Where is she?!" he yelled, his cerulean eyes wide and aggravated. Dr. Doppler hesitatingly pointed out a pair of enormous double doors to Jim's right, and the brunette took off in a dead run. Lai looked sympathetically after the boy, and sighed, following the boy sedately with Dr. Doppler.


	5. Reveal and Request

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Treasure Planet or any material relating to Walt Disney in any way or form.

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Sarah sat quietly, still somewhat dazed, in a huge comfy armchair in front of a crackling fire. The doctor walked sedately over to the woman, who was rapidly falling into a sort of depression as she stared at the elegant china tea set before her on a stool. Dr. Doppler took her hand, and poured her some tea with the other.

"I just spoke with the constabulary. Those pirates have fled without a trace." The dog-like creature hesitated, glancing up at Jim, who threw a thick blanket over his mother's shoulders. He sighed.

"I'm afraid the old Benbow Inn has burned to the ground," he announced quietly. Jim opened his mouth to say something, anything to try and comfort his mother, but forced himself to keep his mouth shut. Morosely, the brunette walked over to one of the many various tables around the library, snatching up the small bronze sphere that had been in the turtle-creature's wrapped bundle. Lai watched him out of the corner of her eye, her thumb idly sweeping over Pyre's hilt, along with the other, longer cylinder at her waist. She never thought she'd come across that damned piece of fable again, the very thing that would drive many a respectable sailor insane because of the information it contained. Her frown deepened as she saw Jim begin to inspect the object, randomly flipping the ball over in his hands, pressing buttons here and there. When the bronze sphere's plates separated a bit, Lai's eyes narrowed dangerously.

"Jim." The brunette looked up at the sound of his name. Lai had her fingertips on Pyre's hilt, but there was no mistaking the warning gesture in her stance.

"What? Are you going to stop me?" He was a bit perturbed by the unexpected onset of a wry smirk on Lai's lips.

"If I had my way, I'd destroy that thing myself. I'm merely trying to save your life." The two teens glared at each other, unaware of the stares Dr. Doppler and Sarah were giving them. At last, Jim twisted the ball in a few random ways, causing the ball to burst open, revealing sparkling green information-Etherium. Defiance turned to surprise for both Jim and Lai as they stared up at the rapidly forming map above them. Dr. Doppler and Sarah got up from where they were to move to the center of the room.

"It's… a map!" The astrophysicist murmured, mouth wide open. Lai gritted her teeth in carefully controlled rage, forcing herself to release Pyre's now violently-rattling hilt. She watched the trio as they inspected various hologram balls that represented planets and galaxies in the universe, clenching her fists as the doctor hit upon Montressor's.

"Wait wait wait! This is us!" He tapped the small, pale blue ball and Lai closed her eyes in defeat, feeling the information-Etherium swirl around her as the sphere showed the way to its special destination.

"Treasure Planet," Jim said in glorified amazement.

"No…"

"That's Treasure Planet!" the brunette reiterated, an incredulous smile breaking over his face.

"Yes it is Jim, and that damn thing has already caused many to die trying to chase a dream…" Lai murmured too softly for anyone to hear. She gradually began to tune out the excited exclamations Jim and Doppler were making, as well as Sarah's flabbergasted protests. Reality slipped away as she closed her eyes, allowing memories of an eerily glowing planet with gravity-balanced rings crossed in the X of a pirate's symbol, of dense jungle terrain, and a humidity that toed the line between comfortable and irritating. Lai's intuition and Lifeblader connection had not been as carefully attuned then, but swords had still vibrated in discomfort at the mere sight of the fabled planet…

"Lai?" The girl's eyes snapped open, stance immediately relaxed. Sarah was staring at her as though pleading for an opinion.

"I didn't hear the question, Mrs. Hawkins." Lai murmured truthfully. Sarah ran a hand through her hair, exasperated.

"Lai, you can call me Sarah," the woman said gently. "Now, please help me tell these _boys _that what they're thinking is insane." Lai glanced from the hostile, glaring Jim to the doe-eyed, pleading Dr. Doppler. She could feel Pyre rattling in protest at her mental processes, but she kept a firm grasp on its hilt with her right hand. There was no need to restrain the sword at her left, Lai remembered grimly; it had slept since her last encounter with Treasure Planet, and she fully intended to wake her other half after twelve long years. She looked straight at Jim when she replied.

"I'm sorry, Sarah. I'm going to stand by the doctor's and Jim's decision." Sarah stared at her, though not in complete shock, Lai noted, cringing inwardly at her reaction. Jim, on the other hand, was thoroughly incredulous, but ecstatic with her decision. Dr. Doppler coughed.

"Um, Sarah? If I may-?" Lai watched the pair exchange a few hushed words, before Sarah, seemingly resigned, turned to Jim, pushing a lock of his hair aside affectionately.

"Jim, I just don't want to lose you." The brunette took her hand, squeezing it gently, a truly sincere expression on his face.

"Mom, you won't. I'll make you proud." The doctor could barely contain his excitement

"Well then, I suppose that settles it. Jim, my boy, soon, we'll be off to the spaceport-"

"Lai, could I have a few words with you?" Lai strode over, arms slowly uncrossing, toward Sarah, who walked away from the two plotting males. Sarah glanced to each of the sheaths at Lai's waist, her lips pressed together.

"I want you to go with them. Keep both Jim and Doppler safe. Whatever you do, bring them back." She did not say _alive_, Lai noted, for a woman's intuition, particularly those with Lifeblader blood or connections, always has an ever-present sense of doubt, and they will never fail to plan for the worst case scenario.

"I will do as you ask, _Yhlan_," Lai replied. _"She's just another of the lucky ones who managed to escape." _The woman could feel Lai's thoughts, and nodded, touching the locket at her neck in the women's salute.

"I knew since we met," she murmured, before turning back to Jim and Doppler. "Lai will be going with you at _my_ request." Jim's first instinct was to start spewing out angry protests, but the doctor stopped him.

"All right Sarah. If that's the ultimate compromise, then I'm _sure_ Jim and I would be able to handle it." The boy calmed down slightly, still fuming at the prospect of a girl coming along to babysit him. It was to this effect that Lai found herself half smirking, half grinning like an idiot. She immediately composed herself, remembering where the bronze sphere would be leading the party to.

"I suppose that preparations will begin shortly, doctor?" she whispered softly, glancing at Sarah as she inched back toward the comfortable chair in front of the fire place. Doppler apparently had not heard the softest acidic note to her inquiry, for he merely responded to the question absentmindedly.

"Yes, yes, I must advertise to hire a captain and crew for this expedition. Then there must be someone to take care of Sarah, arrangements for a three-man exploration group…" The dog creature trailed off, lost in his own little world of calculations and mental preparation as he sidled over to a desk and began to write swiftly in a small ledger. Jim continued to glare at Lai, lips pursed in a childish pout. Deciding to get some rest, Lai turned and headed out the enormous double doors of the library. In the entrance hall, she heard Jim's footsteps behind her, surprisingly graceful for a master solar-surfer. Lai paused, quieting her breathing as she listed to the uncomfortable shift in Jim's stance. Even without looking at him, she could tell that his hands were shoved roughly into his pockets, chin tucked sheepishly into his jacket collar, a grudging expression causing his brows to knit together.

"Thank you." Lai frowned, nearly startled by the unexpected words coming from the teen. She turned around, a slightly puzzled expression on her face.

"Thank you. For agreeing with me. And the doc." His sentences were very staccato, as though he had trouble voicing them. Lai did not answer. She merely crossed the five feet between them to stand two feet from Jim. The brunette wanted to step back, but when he saw her jaw clench and loosen, as though she were at war with herself, he remained where he was against his will. Abruptly, Lai reached out and gently stroked his cheek, across the length of his scar. Jim leapt back, hands in a defensive position and eyes wide. Lai herself was still reaching out to him, confusion and momentary vulnerability evident in her unbalanced stance. It lasted only a second, though, before her arm dropped to her side, and her cool, calm disposition returned to her.

"I'd rather be even an acquaintance than your enemy, Jim. Especially if I'm going to become your bodyguard for the trip," she called over her shoulder as she began to walk away. That hit Jim hard.

"_You_ become _my_ bodyguard? _Please_," he fumed, quickly walking back toward the library.

Lai smirked at his retreating back, and yet, her eyes held the slightest glimmer of pain. Shaking it from her mind, she turned away, wrapping herself in her own thoughts. So focused was she on her thoughts, that she didn't hear Jim stop at the library door. He turned around, watching her walk away as though she were in a daze. Slowly, he reached up and traced the scar on his face, just like she had done. Frowning, he wrenched his gaze away from her and retreated into the library. The sight of his mother and Dr. Doppler did nothing to soothe the cool tingling where Lai had touched him. He frowned deeply.

_"What the hell did she do?"_

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"_What am I doing? Weakness is never shown, affection forbidden, involvement… never."_ Lai bit her lip as she walked swiftly down a hallway to one of the guest bedrooms the doctor had generously allotted the now-homeless group. Unlocking the door with the key she'd been given earlier, she swiftly entered the room, standing perfectly still. None of her Lifeblader senses found any threat, so Lai set to unbuckling Pyre and its companion sword and tossing them onto the huge bed before throwing herself after them exhaustedly.

_"So Sarah knew. I wonder how long she's been hiding out here, and without any swords… Why the hell did Jim have to find that damned map?"_ Lai leaned back on her arms, staring up at the ceiling as she pondered. It was the first time she'd actually considered the fast-paced day she'd been through, and she fully intended to dissect it until every detail had been examined. Unfortunately, calling Pyre from its dormant state had used up much of the last reserves of her energy, and she wouldn't be able to fully function until the next morning. Still, Lai concentrated hard on her memories of Treasure Planet, pushing aside her exhaustion.

Each of the fables surrounding it was a little bit different, yet unnervingly close to the truth. She cringed at the fact that she would have to set foot on its soil again, feel the crushing sense of Corrosion that was the ultimate poison to the Lifeblader race, relive the horrific moments that destroyed half of her soul and left her crippled. She did not want revenge, not yet. All she had wanted was to recover some semblance of her whole self, and yet she'd been conscripted into what could possibly be the last journey of her life.

"Hah. Sometimes I wish that damned bastard had actually killed my sense of valor when he'd sealed Selene." She sighed, stroking the ebony sheath at her side. Lai stared at it, trying to remember what it was like to feel remorse and grief. She squinted, concentrating hard on the sheath, as she had done countless nights before she had found Sarah, trying to break the seal that kept the dark half of her soul asleep. And like all those other nights, nothing happened. After a full thirty minutes, she gave up, deciding to review more of her most recent memories. It was while Lai was examining mental images of Jim's face that she finally fell asleep.

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A/N: Many thanks to those who have read and reviewed my story. I appreciate your sticking with it despite the long update intervals. Anything wrong with the chapter, kindly send me a PM and I shall fix it to the best of my ability, provided I, myself, am not nodding off into the blessed oblivion of much-needed sleep.


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